Ranking the freshman seasons of former number one high school recruits

SYRACUSE, NY - FEBRUARY 23: Former Syracuse Orange player Carmelo Anthony (C) receives his jersey from athletic director Daryl Gross (L) as his number is retired during a ceremony at half time during the game against the Georgetown Hoyas at the Carrier Dome on February 23, 2013 in Syracuse, New York. (Photo by Nate Shron/Getty Images) /

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Zion Williamson (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images) /

Ranking the freshman seasons of former number one high school recruits: 6. Zion Williamson

Freshman stats: 22.6 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 4.3 apg

It might be a bit hard to believe but at one point, R.J. Barrett was considered a better player than Zion Williamson. Before you close your web browser and ignore us completely, just trust us, Barrett was that good in high school.

The smooth looking lefty dropped over 28 points a game as a senior, while also leading Montverde to a perfect record of 35-0. It was tough for Barrett to live up to the hype but by all accounts, he came incredibly close.

Despite being a first-year player, Barrett lit the college basketball world on fire. He averaged 22.6 points per game. It wasn’t just about scoring though, he proved that he had a well-rounded overall game, averaging 7.6 boards and 4.3 assists per game.

Duke had a terrific year, going 32-4. Still, it feels as though they underperformed since many were expecting them to win it all that year. Regardless of that, a Final Four finish isn’t too bad. Barrett was great in his only year in college but he was ultimately outshined by his high flying Duke Blue Devil teammate, Zion Williamson.

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